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EP0352954A2 - Abgeschirmte magnetische Anordnung zur Anwendung in einem Hörgerät - Google Patents

Abgeschirmte magnetische Anordnung zur Anwendung in einem Hörgerät Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0352954A2
EP0352954A2 EP89307282A EP89307282A EP0352954A2 EP 0352954 A2 EP0352954 A2 EP 0352954A2 EP 89307282 A EP89307282 A EP 89307282A EP 89307282 A EP89307282 A EP 89307282A EP 0352954 A2 EP0352954 A2 EP 0352954A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
magnet
shielding cap
edges
magnetic
assembly
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP89307282A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0352954A3 (de
EP0352954B1 (de
Inventor
Cyrus N. Ashtiani
Zoltan J. Cendes
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Smith and Nephew Inc
Original Assignee
Richards Medical Co
Smith and Nephew Richards Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Richards Medical Co, Smith and Nephew Richards Inc filed Critical Richards Medical Co
Publication of EP0352954A2 publication Critical patent/EP0352954A2/de
Publication of EP0352954A3 publication Critical patent/EP0352954A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0352954B1 publication Critical patent/EP0352954B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/604—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of acoustic or vibrational transducers
    • H04R25/606—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of acoustic or vibrational transducers acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to magnet structures and more particularly to magnet structures for use with magnetically coupled hearing aids.
  • Conventional hearing aids utilize detection, amplification and retransmission of the acoustic waves forming sound. Because of a number of well known problems with conventional hearing aids, magnetically coupled hearing aids were investigated.
  • a magnet or magnetic material is placed in the middle ear so that any movement of the magnet structure is perceived as sound by the wearer.
  • the hearing aid includes a coil used to develop a magnetic field which is coupled to the magnetic field produced by the magnetic material.
  • the coil magnetic field is varied based on the received sound waves, with the coupling between the two fields causing the magnetic material to vibrate in sympathy. This motion of the magnetic material then vibrates the connected portion of the middle ear and sound is perceived by the wearer.
  • the coupling could be increased by increasing the strength of the magnetic field output by the hearing aid coil.
  • One way to increase this field is to increase the current in the coil, thereby increasing the ampere-turns value. This increase is practical only within given limits because the increase in current directly affects battery life.
  • Increasing the number of turns is also possible, but again has practical limitations. Because of the limited volume that can be occupied by the coil, especially if the coil is located in the ear canal, the number of turns can only be increased by reducing the size of the wire forming the coil. However, as this wire size is reduced, its unit resistance, and therefore overall coil resistance, increases. Because the amplifier driving the coil is customarily a voltage source, it is sensitive to this output load and the current provided to the coil can reduce as the resistance increases. Therefore, there are only limited gains to be obtained by changing the coil current or number of turns. Gains must be developed in a manner other than simply increasing ampere-turns value.
  • the coil could be placed closer to the magnetic material, but given the size of the hearing aid components and the vulnerability of the middle ear, certain effective minimum spacings are necessary, particularly if the extended surgery that may be necessary for very close implantation is not desirable or possible. Additionally, it is desirable that as much of the hearing aid as possible is easily removable, to limit surgical problems and to ease repair and replacement of the hearing aid and its battery. This removability, when coupled with the physical sizes of the hearing aid components, limits the attainable distance between the coil and magnetic material.
  • a magnetic assembly according to the present invention utilizes a magnetic material and a shielding cap.
  • the shielding cap is a highly permeable, low coercivity material which is located on at least the side of the magnetic material away from the air gap between the coil and the magnetic material.
  • the shielding cap confines the energy stored in the magnetic material's magnetic field to the region or air gap between the coil and the magnetic material. This confining or focusing of the energy results in improved coupling between the two magnetic fields, with the concomitant increase in the hearing aid's efficiency.
  • the shielding cap has the added benefit of reducing the interaction between the magnetic material and external magnetic fields.
  • the magnetic material is preferably disc-shaped, having a thickness less than the effective width or diameter.
  • the magnetic material is a high energy material such as samarium cobalt or neodymium-iron.
  • the shielding cap is shaped to mate with the magnetic material and cover at least one face, with the shielding cap preferably extending over the edges of the disc, so that over one-half, effectively one magnetic pole, of the magnetic material is surrounded by the shielding cap.
  • the shielding cap is formed of a high permeability, low coercivity material, such as permalloy or mumetal.
  • the magnetic material and the shielding cap preferably have a uniform thickness, but may have a thickness varying with the distance from the longitudinal axis of the assembly.
  • An uncapped magnet U (Fig. 1) has a magnetic field F u which is symmetric or uniform about the faces 10 and 12 of the magnet U when the magnetic poles are aligned with the faces 10 and 12 of the magnet U.
  • the representations of the magnets and their respective magnetic fields in the figures are shown as two dimensional for simplicity and ease of explanation, but it is understood that the shapes of the magnets and fields are three dimensional, generally developed by revolving the illustrated portions about an axis for cylindrical embodiments.
  • the energy stored in this uniform magnetic field F u can be considered as being stored in the volume enclosed by the representative lines of flux. As a result, the energy density is high near the field source, the magnet U, and diminishes with the distance from the field source.
  • a coil C (Fig. 2) produces a magnetic field F c .
  • a microphone receives the acoustic sound waves and converts them into an electrical signal. This signal is filtered if desired and amplified. The amplified signal is applied to the coil C which produces the magnetic field F c .
  • the magnetic field F c varies with the frequency and amplitude of the sound waves received by the hearing aid, as explained in U.S. patent application, S.N. 837,708, filed March 7, 1986, and owned by the same entity that owns the subject application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully contained herein, and as described in the article by R. Goode and T. Glattke, "Audition Via Electromagnetic Induction," Arch Otolaryngol , July 1978 at pages 23-26.
  • the coil field F c interacts with the magnetic field F m produced by a magnet M.
  • the magnetic field F m is a constant field because the magnet M has a fixed strength.
  • the coupling or interaction between the coil field F c and the magnet field F m causes the magnet M to vibrate at the frequency of the coil field F c .
  • This coupling is shown in Fig. 2 where the fields F c and F m are of opposite or attractive polarity, so that the flux lines appear to merge, because the magnetic circuit is being formed between the magnet M and the coil C.
  • the fields F c and F m are of like or repulsive polarity in the air gap, the respective flux lines are closed loops, indicating that two magnetic circuits are present.
  • the amplitude of the vibration of the magnet M varies depending on the quality of the coupling of the two fields F c and F m and the mass of the magnet M.
  • the quality of the coupling is based on the air gap distance d and the strength or interacting energy of the two fields F c and F m . If the air gap distance d is reduced or the strength or interacting energy of one of the fields F c or F m is increased, the coupling improves and the vibrational amplitude of the magnet M increases. Because a given amplitude of magnet M movement is necessary to produce a perceived sound level, improving the coupling increases the perceived sound level. If the energy consumption of the hearing aid is not increased in improving the coupling, the efficiency of the hearing aid is increased and battery life is extended.
  • the magnet M has one face 14 substantially facing the coil C and one face 16 substantially facing away from the coil C with the magnetic poles generally aligned with these faces 14 and 16.
  • the axis 20 of the magnet M is generally aligned with the axis 18 of the coil C in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2.
  • the magnet field F m or its coupling with the coil field F c must be improved.
  • the magnetic field F u of the uncoated magnet U is uniform about the two faces 10 and 12 of the magnet U.
  • an appreciable portion of the energy stored in the field F u is not utilized in the coupling of the uncoated magnet U and the coil C. It is desirable that more of the energy be focused into the air gap A, so that the useful energy developed in the magnet field F m is increased.
  • the shielded magnet assembly S1 (Fig. 3), which is similar to the magnet M of Fig. 2, with the letter S generally referring to a shielded magnet assembly according to the present invention and the numeral referring to a particular embodiment, focuses or directs more of the energy contained in its magnetic field F s1 into the air gap A than an uncoated magnet U of equivalent strength.
  • the shielded assembly S1 is comprised of two pieces, a magnet 22 and a shielding cap 24.
  • the magnet 22 is preferably cylindrical (Fig. 4) and relatively thin, so that the magnet 22 has a radius r and a thickness t, with the thickness t preferably being less than twice the radius r.
  • the magnet 22 can have other shapes as desired, such as hexagonal or square, or other shapes as are apparent to those skilled in the art.
  • the magnet 22 is preferably formed of high energy magnetic materials, such as samarium cobalt, neodymium-iron or other similar materials, to reduce the size and mass of the magnet 22 needed to develop a given magnetic field F s1 .
  • the magnet 22 is formed using conventional techniques.
  • the shielding cap 24 is shaped to mate with the magnet 22.
  • the cap 24 contains a recess 26 into which the magnet 22 fits snugly.
  • the recess 26 has a depth of approximately one-half the magnet thickness t so that effectively one pole of the magnet 22 is shielded, limiting the magnetic flux which can form a circuit without traversing the shielding cap 24.
  • the shielding cap 24 is preferably formed of a high permeability and low coercivity material, for example, permalloy or mumetal. The material can be annealed to increase the relative permeability of the material, but satisfactory results are had when the material is not annealed.
  • the shielding cap 24 is preferably machined from either cylindrical stock or from stock cast to approximate the finished shape to keep any differences between the shape of the recess 26 and the magnet 22 to a minimum.
  • a series magnetic circuit is formed from one face or pole 28 of the magnet 22 to the other face 30, with the circuit elements being the shielding cap 24 and the air in the volume where the circuit is completed. In a series magnetic circuit the energy is primarily stored in the least permeable portions of the circuit.
  • the energy in the shielded field F s1 is contained primarily in the air gap A, resulting in improved coupling between the coil field F c and the shielded field F s1 over the unshielded field F u because of the increased energy in the air gap A for the magnetic field F s1 , which improves the magnetic coupling.
  • the shielded assembly S1 has a greater effective output level, particularly at the higher frequencies between 5000 and 8000 Hz, than an unshielded magnet U given equal magnet sizes and magnet energies.
  • the shielded assembly S1 does provide improved output characteristics at higher frequencies when compared with an uncapped magnet U having the same weight as the shielded assembly S1.
  • the larger unshielded magnet U is vulnerable to interference developed by the presence of external magnetic fields.
  • the external fields can be produced by transformers used in electronic equipment. The external fields couple with the magnetic field of the magnet and cause a low frequency interference to be heard by the wearer.
  • the focusing of the magnetic field F s1 in the air gap A and the resultant decrease in the field F s1 in other positions reduces the interference caused by external magnetic fields. Less energy exists in positions not coupled with the coil C. As a result, there is less energy to easily couple with external fields produced by transformers and the like, and any external coupling occurring in the air gap region must overcome the signal or field of the coil C. Therefore the shielded assembly S1 has a reduced amount of external field pickup. Tests were performed using the unshielded magnet U and the shielded magnet assembly S1 of Test 4. When this assembly S1 was placed near a power transformer, a vibration equivalent to a sound pressure level of 87.4 decibels was obtained. The uncapped magnet U in the same location produced a vibration equivalent to a sound pressure level of 109.9 decibels, or an increase of 22.5 decibels over the shielded assembly S1.
  • the shielding cap 24 covers the edge of magnet 22 so that effectively one entire pole of the magnet 22 is covered and no paths exist which do not include the shielding cap 24 in the magnetic circuit. This improves the effectiveness of the magnetic field focus as compared to a second shielded assembly S2 (Fig. 5), where a shielding disc 32 is provided instead of a shielding cap 24.
  • the shielding disc 32 is substantially the same size and shape as the back face 28 of the magnet 22 and does not overlap the edges of the magnet 22.
  • the disc 32 does not bend or focus the magnetic field F s2 into the air gap A as much as the shielding cap 24 and the coupling between the magnetic fields of the disc shielded assembly S2 and the coil C is less than the coupling between the magnetic fields of the capped magnet assembly S1 and the coil C.
  • the coupling of the fields F s2 and F c is still an improvement over an unshielded magnet U.
  • the disc 32 is preferably formed of similar material as the shielding cap 24.
  • a magnetic assembly S3 having a magnet 40 and a shielding cap 42 with varying thicknesses.
  • the magnet 40 is generally cylindrical, having a plane face 44 on the air gap A side and a conical face 46 away from the air gap A.
  • the tapered shielding cap 42 is correspondingly thin at the central axis, and thickens to the edge of the magnet 40.
  • the tapered cap 42 preferably has a lip 48 which covers portions of the edge of the magnet 40 to allow improved magnetic field focusing.
  • the magnet 40 is preferably formed of a high energy material and the tapered cap 42 is formed of a high permeability, low coercivity material.
  • the shielded magnet assembly S can be placed in the ear in a number of ways.
  • the magnet assembly S can be placed in a total ossicular replacement prosthesis T (Figs. 7 and 7A) or a partial ossicular replacement prosthesis P (Figs. 8 and 8A) according to the disclosure of U.S. patent application, S.N. 050,909, filed May 15, 1987, and owned by the same entity that owns the subject application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as through fully contained herein.
  • the shielded magnet assembly S is placed inside a biocompatible container 60.
  • the container 60 is preferably formed of titanium, but can be formed of any suitable biocompatible material which has a relative magnetic permeability of approximately one and can seal the shielded magnet assembly S from the body.
  • the container 60 includes a generally cylindrical mounting post 62 which is preferably hollow and has an outer surface including a tapered portion 64.
  • a shaft 66 is inserted into the hollow portion of the mounting post 62.
  • a hollow shaft 68 is used, with the hollow shaft 68 being installed over the mounting post 62, so that the tapered portion 64 grips the inside of the shaft 68.
  • the container 60 preferably has a porous biocompatible coating 70 over the portion of the container 60 which contacts the tympanic membrane.
  • This porous coating 70 can be an appropriate polymer or hydroxyapatite, to allow positive connection to the tympanic membrane over time as tissue ingrowth occurs.
  • the partial prosthesis P is shown implanted in the middle ear in Fig. 9.
  • the malleus and the incus have been removed as appropriate when using a partial ossicular replacement prosthesis.
  • the partial prosthesis P contacts the tympanic membrane 92 and the stapes 90 to provide conduction of the received acoustic waves to the inner ear 94.
  • the coil C of the hearing aid is shown placed in the ear canal 94, so that the magnetic fields of the coil C and the shielded assembly S in the partial prosthesis P can interact and provide movement to the stapes 90 to simulate sound. Therefore the partial prosthesis P allows both acoustic and magnetic energy to be transferred to the inner ear to be perceived as sound.
  • the shielded assembly S can be directly implanted in an appropriate location in the middle ear.
  • Such an assembly S may be directly biocompatibly coated 50 (Fig. 10) or may be placed in a biocompatible container (not shown) which has a further biocompatible coating.
  • the magnet 20 and shielding cap 24 are coated by the biocompatible coating 50 to prevent corrosion or rejection when implanted and preferably to allow tissue ingrowth for positive attachment.
  • the biocompatible coating 50 may be any satisfactory material, such as hydroxyapatite, biocompatible polymers, and other materials known to those skilled in the art.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Prostheses (AREA)
  • Shielding Devices Or Components To Electric Or Magnetic Fields (AREA)
  • Audible-Bandwidth Dynamoelectric Transducers Other Than Pickups (AREA)
  • Soft Magnetic Materials (AREA)
EP89307282A 1988-07-20 1989-07-19 Abgeschirmte magnetische Anordnung zur Anwendung in einem Hörgerät Expired - Lifetime EP0352954B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US07/221,932 US4936305A (en) 1988-07-20 1988-07-20 Shielded magnetic assembly for use with a hearing aid
US221932 1988-07-20

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0352954A2 true EP0352954A2 (de) 1990-01-31
EP0352954A3 EP0352954A3 (de) 1991-08-28
EP0352954B1 EP0352954B1 (de) 1994-09-07

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89307282A Expired - Lifetime EP0352954B1 (de) 1988-07-20 1989-07-19 Abgeschirmte magnetische Anordnung zur Anwendung in einem Hörgerät

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US4936305A (de)
EP (1) EP0352954B1 (de)
JP (1) JPH02119400A (de)
AT (1) ATE111290T1 (de)
AU (1) AU608200B2 (de)
CA (1) CA1311424C (de)
DE (1) DE68918020D1 (de)

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DE4343703C1 (de) * 1993-12-21 1995-01-05 Siemens Audiologische Technik Am Kopf tragbares Hörgerät
DE4343702C1 (de) * 1993-12-21 1995-03-09 Siemens Audiologische Technik Am Kopf tragbares Hörgerät
EP0724377A1 (de) * 1995-01-27 1996-07-31 Beltone Electronics Corporation Einpressbare Ohrenschmalzsperre
WO2010147935A1 (en) * 2009-06-15 2010-12-23 SoundBeam LLC Optically coupled active ossicular replacement prosthesis
WO2011011409A1 (en) * 2009-07-22 2011-01-27 Vibrant Med-El Hearing Technology Gmbh Magnetic attachment arrangement for implantable device
US8401214B2 (en) 2009-06-18 2013-03-19 Earlens Corporation Eardrum implantable devices for hearing systems and methods
US8715154B2 (en) 2009-06-24 2014-05-06 Earlens Corporation Optically coupled cochlear actuator systems and methods
US8715153B2 (en) 2009-06-22 2014-05-06 Earlens Corporation Optically coupled bone conduction systems and methods
US8845705B2 (en) 2009-06-24 2014-09-30 Earlens Corporation Optical cochlear stimulation devices and methods
USRE45455E1 (en) 1998-07-10 2015-04-07 Widex A/S Hearing aid ear wax guard and a method for its use
US9055379B2 (en) 2009-06-05 2015-06-09 Earlens Corporation Optically coupled acoustic middle ear implant systems and methods
US9749758B2 (en) 2008-09-22 2017-08-29 Earlens Corporation Devices and methods for hearing
US9924276B2 (en) 2014-11-26 2018-03-20 Earlens Corporation Adjustable venting for hearing instruments
US9930458B2 (en) 2014-07-14 2018-03-27 Earlens Corporation Sliding bias and peak limiting for optical hearing devices
US9949039B2 (en) 2005-05-03 2018-04-17 Earlens Corporation Hearing system having improved high frequency response
US9961454B2 (en) 2008-06-17 2018-05-01 Earlens Corporation Optical electro-mechanical hearing devices with separate power and signal components
US10034103B2 (en) 2014-03-18 2018-07-24 Earlens Corporation High fidelity and reduced feedback contact hearing apparatus and methods
US10154352B2 (en) 2007-10-12 2018-12-11 Earlens Corporation Multifunction system and method for integrated hearing and communication with noise cancellation and feedback management
US10178483B2 (en) 2015-12-30 2019-01-08 Earlens Corporation Light based hearing systems, apparatus, and methods
US10284964B2 (en) 2010-12-20 2019-05-07 Earlens Corporation Anatomically customized ear canal hearing apparatus
US10286215B2 (en) 2009-06-18 2019-05-14 Earlens Corporation Optically coupled cochlear implant systems and methods
US10292601B2 (en) 2015-10-02 2019-05-21 Earlens Corporation Wearable customized ear canal apparatus
US10492010B2 (en) 2015-12-30 2019-11-26 Earlens Corporations Damping in contact hearing systems
US10555100B2 (en) 2009-06-22 2020-02-04 Earlens Corporation Round window coupled hearing systems and methods
US11102594B2 (en) 2016-09-09 2021-08-24 Earlens Corporation Contact hearing systems, apparatus and methods
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US7867160B2 (en) 2004-10-12 2011-01-11 Earlens Corporation Systems and methods for photo-mechanical hearing transduction
US7421087B2 (en) * 2004-07-28 2008-09-02 Earlens Corporation Transducer for electromagnetic hearing devices
US8096937B2 (en) * 2005-01-11 2012-01-17 Otologics, Llc Adaptive cancellation system for implantable hearing instruments
US7775964B2 (en) * 2005-01-11 2010-08-17 Otologics Llc Active vibration attenuation for implantable microphone
US7489793B2 (en) * 2005-07-08 2009-02-10 Otologics, Llc Implantable microphone with shaped chamber
US7522738B2 (en) * 2005-11-30 2009-04-21 Otologics, Llc Dual feedback control system for implantable hearing instrument
US8472654B2 (en) * 2007-10-30 2013-06-25 Cochlear Limited Observer-based cancellation system for implantable hearing instruments
US8396239B2 (en) 2008-06-17 2013-03-12 Earlens Corporation Optical electro-mechanical hearing devices with combined power and signal architectures
EP2301262B1 (de) 2008-06-17 2017-09-27 Earlens Corporation Optische elektromechanische hörgeräte mit kombinierten stromversorgungs- und signalarchitekturen
KR100999690B1 (ko) * 2008-07-08 2010-12-08 단국대학교 산학협력단 이식형 보청기용 고막진동장치 및 그 고막진동장치용설치장치
US8771166B2 (en) 2009-05-29 2014-07-08 Cochlear Limited Implantable auditory stimulation system and method with offset implanted microphones
US8774930B2 (en) * 2009-07-22 2014-07-08 Vibrant Med-El Hearing Technology Gmbh Electromagnetic bone conduction hearing device
RU2525509C2 (ru) * 2009-12-25 2014-08-20 АйЭйчАй КОРПОРЕЙШН Магнитное тело и устройство управления доставкой лекарственного средства с использованием магнитного тела
US10284968B2 (en) 2015-05-21 2019-05-07 Cochlear Limited Advanced management of an implantable sound management system
US11071869B2 (en) 2016-02-24 2021-07-27 Cochlear Limited Implantable device having removable portion
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Also Published As

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JPH02119400A (ja) 1990-05-07
DE68918020D1 (de) 1994-10-13
US4936305A (en) 1990-06-26
EP0352954A3 (de) 1991-08-28
CA1311424C (en) 1992-12-15
AU3825689A (en) 1990-01-25
ATE111290T1 (de) 1994-09-15
EP0352954B1 (de) 1994-09-07
AU608200B2 (en) 1991-03-21

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